Something Worth Fighting For
by Princess Mai of Darkness
Summary: Akaike Fujiwara & her parent Fumika Fujiwara, Kokoro Fujiwara and her pet Cookies in a war on the Konohagakure. Akaike was left alone in the world with none taking care of her but there a break the Third Hokage and clan in the Leaf village.
1. Chapter 1

In Konohagakure, also known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves, everybody was living very happily with each other. It was a time of peace. War had finally ceased throughout the world, and the villages seemed to be residing in a tranquil period. No one expected war to come anytime soon.

That is, until there was an unexpected attack on the Leaf Village from the Hidden Cloud. Different ranking shinobi from both villages sprung into action. Leaf genin were ordered to herd civilians to safety, but chaos was quickly ensuing. Many citizens were caught in the crossfire because they were too stubborn to leave their homes and stores. Their home lives and businesses were too important to them, and they refused to abandon what they believed were their legacies.

The Third Hokage and his guard quickly jumped into the fighting. As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi would do anything to protect the village from the enemy.

Amongst the chaos, one family was forced to separate. Two jounin, Kokoro Fujiwara and Fumika Fujiwara, had to leave their daughter Akaike Fujiwara behind. The fighting outside was too dangerous for the young girl to go anywhere, so Kokoro hid her daughter in the closet. Fumika and Kokoro knew their beloved child would be safe from harm as long as she stayed in her hiding spot along with her faithful dog Cookie.

But Akaike was worried that her parents might never come back to her. Even though she was young, Akaike knew that it was a dangerous battle. There was so much bloodshed.

Kokoro and Fumika gave her kisses and told Cookie to keep his eyes on Akaike and make sure Cookie protect her no matter what happen. Right before they left, her mom give her a necklace that had a beautiful rare stone attached to it. Kokoro put the chain around her daughter's neck before closing the closet door. That was the last time Akaike saw her parents alive.

Time seemed move slower than usual. Screams of agony filled the air as people were slaughtered by the ruthless Cloud ninja. Her pet friend, Cookie, was there with Akaike, licking her tears when she started to cry.

Suddenly, the front door to her home was thrown open, and Akaike could hear someone coming into the house.

"Find that girl and bring her to me live," one voice said.

Akaike carefully opened the door a crack to see who was trespassing in her home. Cookie tried to pull her back into the safety of the closet.

That was when Akaike heard her mother come in the house saying, "She not here."

Her mother saw the door slightly open, and she tried to make her way over to the door. Unfortunately, her enemy saw her closing the closet door. Before the enemy ninja could go after Akaike, Cookie jumped out and attacked one of the men while Kokoro started fighting with the other one. The small girl placed her hand over her mouth as she watched her mother and canine fight the enemies, and she had to keep herself from crying out loud as she saw the Cloud ninja winning.

Akaike was becoming even more scared when she saw her dog get stab in the ribs with a kunai. Then tears spilled down the daughter's face as she saw a man cut her mother's throat open. Blood was spilled everywhere, and the crimson liquid was splattered over Akaike's face and clothes. Seeing her mother and dog's blood everywhere made something break inside her heart. She screamed loudly as tears streaked down her cheeks.

The enemies walked over to the closet, their evil smiles plastered over their faces.

As Akaike looked up to see the strangers approaching her, she suddenly felt this power growing inside of her. It was something that she had never felt before. Feeling this amazing power swell inside of her, she slowly walked out of the closet and glared at the people who had killed her mother and pet.

"You killed my mother and my dog. Now you have to die," said Akaike in a shockingly strong and angry voice.

"Like you can stop of us," said one man as he sneered down at the girl.

Akaike let her chakra flow through her body, and she summoned her beast. She was going to avenge her family. She would kill the men that killed her parents and her dog.

A large fierce creature with deep black scales and white eyes emerged from the ground. It was the Dragon from Hell. The creature gave some of its power to the little girl who had summoned it, and Akaike let that power flow into her arm. Using this new and intense strength, Akaike punched the two enemy shinobi, sending them outside.

The frightened ninja were then about to run away, but the angry child jumped in front of them, refusing to let them leave until she had her revenge.

Just then, more Cloud shinobi appeared. Once the backup had arrived, there was a total of seven ninja against one little girl.

"Her power is weak and can't ever destroy us," the leader said cockily as he glared at the girl.

"My power is not weak," Akaike said angrily.

Using the power she had received from the Dragon from Hell, she sent a blast of fire towards them. However, they were able to easily jump out of the way. Then her dragon caught them by their legs in his mouth. His jaws clamped down on their legs, and then he threw them at the wall of another building. The shinobi cried out in pain from the impact and their nearly severed legs.

The leader forced himself to stand up, and he prepared his own jutsu to attack. But when he was just about to strike, the dragon's black scaly tail appeared in front of Akaike, protecting her from harm.

"Who is weak now?" said Akaike, her voice laced with her angry power.

"Boss, let's leave. We can get her other day," said one man. The other men nodded in agreement. The leader sighed in defeat, and he quickly led his men away from the battleground.

Akaike watched the men run away, but she didn't stop them. She turned back into her home to see the dead bodies of Kokoro and Cookie. Closing her eyes to keep the tears from spilling, she quickly got a white sheet and laid it over the corpses. Letting exhaustion take over her tired body, she sat on the ground and leaned against the wall.

Minutes later, the battles in the other parts of the village were over. It was finally over. People headed back to their homes, knowing it was finally safe. But their hearts wept for their loved ones, those that had died in battle to protect the village.

Akaike heard someone come into the house, and the light poured right in as a medical-nin walked into the house. The dragon quickly surrounded Akaike in protection from any unknown threats. Another ninja followed the medical-nin inside the home. It was the Hokage.

"Akaike Fujiwara, your dad told us to get you and take care of you. That was his final wish before he died in battle," said Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"How do you know him?" Akaike asked in confusion.

"He used to be one of my guards, and he told me so much about you. He was a great ninja and a very good father," said the Hokage.

"How can I trust you?" the girl asked.

"You can try getting to know me first," the older man replied.

Cautiously, Akaike released her dragon. The large black creature went back into the earth's core to sleep again until it was summoned when needed for next time. Akaike slowly took the Hokage's hand, and he led her outside, where she could breathe in some fresh air.

Akaike was taken to Konoha Hospital to get checked up for wounds and such. She was given a bath, and the nurses took care of her until she was fit to leave.

When the girl left the hospital, she could see all the villagers trying to get their lives back to normal. Doctors were treating injuries, and other people were fixing their homes or helping to reconstruct buildings.

Everyone was doing their work, trying to get everything back to normal. Akaike hated seeing peoples hurt and scared because they had lost someone they loved, like families and friends.

Just like her.

Now she had no one with her. She was alone. She didn't know where she would go or what she would do. Her parents were dead, and she didn't think she could learn to trust another person. There were so many questions going through her mind as she walked through the destroyed village.

Where would she live? What could she do? Who could she trust?

To Be Continue…


	2. Chapter 2

Akaike began helping the Medical-nin by watching any children whose parents were being treated for injuries. Akaike and the children would play games until the families were ready to see them again. Then Akaike would help some store sell food or clean the area by picking up the tables, cleaning the broken glass, throwing out spoiled fruit, and cleaning the water. She would also help the cook to make meals for the villagers who didn't have homes to go to because of the war. Akaike would hand the meals out, knowing that her mom, dad, and her dog weren't there to see her helping the people in the Leaf Village. Right before this war, Akaike would be in school with the other kids her age, trying to learn to control their chakra. However, after the war broke out, nobody could go to school for a while.

Later that day, it was a funeral for the people that gave up their lives for the village. One by one, everybody put a rose next to their family picture.

Akaike stood there, looking at her mom, dad, and Cookie, smiling sadly. She knew that she had to be strong for them and become the strongest ninja in the world. As she was about to sit on the ground by her departed family's graves, it started to rain.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly walked over to her, and he put his hand on her shoulder. As he stood beside her, he felt something inside her. Something that made her special to him, so he had to keep an eye on her.

3 months later

Everybody in the village was working hard to rebuild everything. Akaike knew it was going to be tough learning to trust people again, but she had to teach herself to be open to others. As Akaike saw children going to school with their parents, it made her upset. She wanted to go to school with them, but who going to sign the papers for her to go to school?

One of the ANBU saw her there, lying against the tree, watching the new Genin going to school for the first time.

"I know you are there," said Akaike, without even glancing in the ninja's direction.

"The Hokage wants to speak with you," said the ANBU

"So you came all the way here to tell me that?" Akaike replied in snooty manner.

"I don't have time to fight with you," said the ANBU while shaking his head.

"What makes you think I can trust you or your leader?" asked Akaike.

"I'm an ANBU member. I devote my life to this village. You can trust me," the ninja said.

"I don't think so," Akaike said, shaking her head as she began to ignore the shinobi.

"Hey, just because you had the Hell Dragon doesn't mean you have to act like a spoiled brat," said the ANBU member, anger becoming evident in his voice.

"I don't act like a spoiled brat, I just don't like the tone of your voice," said Akaike, a bit angrily.

"Fine, don't come. I'll just say that you ran away," said the ANBU.

"You're not that stupid. You won't tell him that," said Akaike, disbelievingly.

"I don't have time for this, I have other things to do!" said the ninja as he threw his hands up in the air exasperatedly.

"Well go, I am not stopping you," said Akaike.

The ANBU left in frustration, leaving Akaike standing there, watching parents kiss their children goodbye. Akaike sighed and walked away, leaving the happy families behind.

As she walked, she saw an old woman looking for her lost cat. The elderly woman appeared to be wealthy, for she had jewelry draped all over her neck, ears, and fingers. Akaike spotted the cat hiding behind a tree, so she picked it up and walked over to the woman.

"Here's your cat, Miss," said Akaike as she handed the feline to the old woman.

"Well thank you very much, dear," said the old woman.

"Why did your cat run away like that?" said Akaike politely.

"Because it doesn't like to be spoiled, and it always runs away. You know, you are too young to be on this mission by yourself. Where are your teacher and friends" asked the old woman.

"I don't have friends or a teacher. I am on no mission. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go now," said Akaike.

Akaike walked by herself again with no one, she knew it would be better to see what the Hokage wanted before he sent another ninja to come and get her.

As she walked, Akaike pondered about her current dilemma. The fact that she was alone in the world continued to hit her hard.

She didn't have anyone to ask her how her day was. She didn't have something special she could do with her mom like they used to. When Akaike was a baby, her mother, Kokoro, would put Akaike on her back while they were shopping or doing garden work. Sometimes, when her mother was out, Fumika, her father, would take Akaike to work with him until Kokoro came to pick her up.

When Akaike was seven years old, her parents gave her a puppy to play with. On the first day, Akaike went out with her puppy. She bought some sweet cookies for a snack, but her dog jumped up and took them out of her hand. From that day on, the dog was known as Cookie, and the two would go out every weekend to buy cookies.

However, that was all over now. Akaike would not see them ever again.

Akaike arrived at the Hokage's building. She was standing in front of the door, and she slowly knocked and waited for an answer.

"Why is he special anyways? I know he protects the Leaf Village, but…" Akaike thought to herself.

She suddenly heard the Hokage's voice, telling her to enter.

So many thoughts began running through her head. Would he let her stay with him? Would he show her how to live on her own for the rest of her life?

Akaike slowly opened the door, and the sunlight streaming in through the windows blinded her for a moment as she entered. She had to block the sunlight with her hand as a shield.

When she walked inside the office, she saw a shocking scene. Representatives from many of the shinobi clans were standing in the room along the side.

"Thank you for coming," said Hiruzen.

"One of the ANBU came to me saying that you wanted to see me," Akaike replied curtly.

"Yes I did, because we need to talk about your future and where you are going to stay," said the Third Hokage. "I am thinking I would like you to stay with me and another family clan. We will alternate, so you can learn about the clans and also become close with other people. The ninja in this room represent the Aburame Clan, Sarutobi Clan, Nara Clan, Inuzuka Clan, Hyuuga Clan, or Uchiha Clan. However, you have to stay out of trouble when you are living with us. What do you say?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Yes, I promise I will stay out of trouble," said Akaike respectfully.

"Anything you want to say or do while we are here?" asked the Third.

Tears began to slowly slide down Akaike's cheeks as she remembered her parents. "I wish my mother and father were here," said Akaike, looking down at her feet so no one could see her crying.

"They would be very proud of you for being brave," said Hiruzen.

"There is one more thing I want to do," said Akaike as she brushed her tears away with the back of her hand.

"What would that be?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"I want to go to school with the other kids that are my age," said Akaike in a strong voice, hoping that she could get her wish.

"We can do that for you. There is one more thing, then," said the Third.

"Yes, Hokage?" asked Akaike.

"Call me Hiruzen instead of Hokage," the man behind the desk smiled comfortingly at the girl. "Now, which family do you want to stay with for tonight?"

"I don't know, there are seven families to choose from. I want to be with all of them, but it is hard to pick," said Akaike as she pondered her choice.

"Take your time, you don't have to rush," said Hiruzen.

After careful contemplation, the little girl finally decided. "The family I want to spend the night with is the Inuzuka family." said Akaike.

Perhaps her life was looking up now. She was no longer alone. The Third Hokage was giving her a family, even if it was seven different clans. But it was better than being alone, and Akaike was slightly happy to know that she now had a place to go to.


	3. Chapter 3

The Hokage was happy to see the little girl with a family to help her learn to trust again. Akaike still wanted to get things from her old home before she started living with the Inuzuka Clan for the night. She was also nervous about going to school with other kids her age and getting close to them.

In addition, for some reason, her hair was changing colors. It was supposed to be brown, but somehow, it was changing to a reddish color. This continued to bewilder Akaike, especially since no one from her family had red hair. But this was really one of the last things Akaike was worrying about right now.

She wanted to ask the Hokage if it was ok for her to go to her old home to pick up something from there before she moved in with a different family.

"Um… Hiruzen, there is one more request I like to ask you," said Akaike nervously.

"What might that be?" asked Hiruzen.

"I want to go to my old home and pick up some special things that mean a lot to me," said the little girl.

"I don't know about that. You might get a nasty flashback, which you can't have right now," said Hiruzen.

"I know that, but I don't want to forget their faces," replied Akaike.

"I see…I will have one of the ANBU go with you," said the Third.

Akaike looked down at the ground because she knew that she had gotten angry with one the ANBU members, but that was only because it was hard to trust people again and let anyone too close. When being cold to someone, they would just get angry.

Akaike turned to walk out of the office, but Shikaku Nara stopped her and told her to come over anytime if she wanted to talk. Akaike is stunned upon hearing this. Because of the war, she was afraid to let people too close because she was afraid of getting hurt.

"Akaike, how did you get the power of the Hell Dragon? It should be hard for a girl your age to control it," said Shikaku.

"I think it runs in my family," said Akaike.

"Can you summon him again, without losing control?" asked Shikaku.

"I don't know, I summon him when I am in danger. But I can try to show you him if that is what you want," said Akaike.

"If you don't mind," said Hiruzen.

"Ok, give me 1 hour to get my things, and then I will show the Hell dragon," said Akaike.

Akaike turned around and headed out of the office again. She walked out of the Hokage's building and started off toward her old home, until she noticed one of the ANBU members following her. Akaike ignored him and continued down the path, lost in her thoughts.

Summoning the Hell dragon again would be harder because he came when she was in danger. The dragon didn't come just to show off to people; that is not what her father wanted to use the dragon for. The Hell dragon did run in her family, but the people who summon him often die because they can't control his rage. Her parents often told her stories about the Hell dragon, but Akaike never thought she would see it at such a young age.

As she walked inside her old home, she could see the blood on the wall and the floor, and it all brought back that terrible memory of her family's death. She quickly headed to her bedroom, where most of her things were. She found a backpack and started to fill it up with clothes, ribbons, and a picture of her family.

The ANBU member walked inside and saw Akaike standing there, looking at a picture and crying. All her tears fell down her cheeks and on the frame. The ninja slowly left the room, giving her a minute or two to get herself together.

2 minutes later

Akaike cleaned her face and finished packing her things. She headed out of her bedroom and stopped at her parents' bedroom. She wanted to put some of her parents' in their closet so they would stay safe. She walked inside and saw everything was left as it was. She started putting their things in a box and slid it in the closet. But she did take their blanket because it had their scents on it, and it made her feel safe. She folded it up and put it in her backpack; once she was done, she left the house and locked the door so no one could go inside.

They were heading to the Inuzuka Clan home, where Tsume and her children, Hana and Kiba and his puppy Akamaru, were waiting for Akaike to come to their home. As they saw her walking down the road with her backpack full of her things, Akaike saw the family bow to them for respect.

Tsume showed Akaike her home and the room that she was going to sleep in. Akaike put her backpack in the closet to unpack for later. She took a tour of the house and saw the kitchen, the bathroom, backyard, and their other dogs that lived with them.

Their dogs were friendly, and they started to lick her face. She pushed them out of her way so she could wipe her face from all the slobber. Tsume and Hana put them in their places so she could breathe. After the tour of the home, Tsume and Akaike headed to the tournament building.

Akaike began thinking to herself if she should let them see her power or just run away from them. Her family had worked with the Hokage for many years, so she should be able to trust them. But it was not easy for Akaike to just summon the Hell Dragon because she only summoned him when she was in danger. But she had to try.

"Akaike, if you feel uncomfortable, just let us know," said Hiruzen.

Akaike closed her eyes and let the chakra flow though her body, and then she started the hand seals. The ground started to shake, and Akaike opened her eyes. Her eyes were as red as fire. The ground split open, and the Hell Dragon emerged from the ground.

"Lord Hokage, she is using too much of her chakra to control the dragon," said Tsume.

Everybody stood there, watching the dragon come out of the ground. Finally, the dragon was fully out of the ground, and it used its tail to protect Akaike from any unknown danger that could fall upon her. As Hiruzen walked up to Akaike, the Dragon immediately let its wings spread out around her. His wings surrounded her, and the beast opened his mouth, indicating that he could speak.

"How did you become involved with the Fujiwara family?" asked the Third Hokage.

"I see that Akaike's parents didn't tell you?" said The Dragon.

"I am sorry to say that they died in the war due to the attack from the Cloud ninja. They told us to take care of Akaike," said Hiruzen.

"Then I have to tell you the truth. It happened when Akaike was practically just born. She was very weak when she was born, and her parents prayed and prayed to save their daughter and give her a fighting chance," The Dragon said.

*Flashback*

Kokoro Fujiwara and Fumika Fujiwara were young first time soon – to – be – parents to a baby girl that would soon come into the world. However, something was strange about this particular pregnancy, and Kokoro noticed this.

Kokoro and Fumika went to Konoha Hospital to see what was going on, so the doctor examined the woman to insure that everything was fine. The doctor told the parents that the baby was growing normally, but she was not moving around like most unborn babies. The doctor sent Kokoro home and told her to stay off her feet until her nine months was over.

Kokoro and Fumika went home to get some sleep, hoping that everything would be ok. As they got home, Fumika immediately got his wife into bed so she could rest for the remainder of the day. After a few moments of watching her, he decided that it might be safe to leave for just a moment. He had to go to work, but he prayed that his wife would be alright by herself.

It wasn't long until Kokoro felt the labor pain hit her hard. She tried to get up, but the pain only got stronger. She called for Fumika for help but he wasn't home to hear her cry. Kokoro peered under the blanket to see blood everywhere. She knew she had to get some help before she and her unborn baby died.

She tried to get up, but her legs felt like jelly when she tried to stand. But she pushed herself up. And then her water broke. Kokoro knew that it was too early for her daughter to be born. It had only been eight months. She leaned against the wall for support and tried to steady her breathing until her husband got home.

*At the Hokage Building*

As Hokage Hiruzen was talking about a new mission, Fumika suddenly got this uneasy feeling that something was not right. He waited to see if the feeling would pass over, but it never did. Fumika quickly left the building and raced home to make sure everything was ok. Knowing that he shouldn't have left his wife alone like that, he charged through the door and into the bedroom. He saw his wife lying against the wall

"Kokoro, what's the matter?" asked Fumika.

"It's the baby, I think she is coming," replied Kokoro.

"Come on, we have to go to the hospital now," said Fumika.

The husband saw the blood on the blanket and the floor where his wife had been moving. Kokoro was holding Fumika's hand as tight as she could, and Fumika was working to get some help. The baby was already on its way. He lifted his wife's dress up and opened her legs a bit. The baby's head was coming out.

"Hun, I see the head. You have to push," ordered Fumika.

Kokoro pushed as hard as she could, but the pain was too much for her. So she tried to push again, and then she relaxed. The baby had now entered the world. But there was one problem. The baby wasn't crying.

"Fumika, why is she not crying?" asked Kokoro fearfully.

"I don't know, I am rubbing her back and hitting on her bottom to get her to make a sound," said Fumika.

A couple of seconds passed, and their worst nightmare was possibly coming true. Their daughter might have been born dead. Fumika got the blanket that Kokoro had made for the daughter and wrapped her in it. Fumika gave the baby girl to his wife, and the small family sat on the floor, cuddled together. The adults gradually began to cry as their daughter continued to be still, with no air filling her lungs.

"Her name is Akaike Fujiwara," said Kokoro.

"That is a beautiful name for her," said Fumika as he put his arm around her shoulders in comfort.

"Let us pray that she makes it back to the other side," said Kokoro.

They sat there and prayed, hoping a miracle could save their daughter's soul.

But there was hope.

A strange circle of mist began to appear in front of the family. From the mist, a red dragon appeared.

"I am the Hell Dragon. I have been sent from your family on the other side," said The Dragon.

"What is it that you want from us?" said Fumika.

"Well it was your daughter's turn to yield my power," said The Dragon.

"Why?" asked Fumika.

"It is her destiny to have it," said The Dragon.

"But you cannot save her," said Kokoro, tears stinging her eyes.

"Yes I can. I will give her my power so she will have a life," said The Dragon.

"What in return?" asked Fumika.

"You must not tell anyone about me or her power," said The Dragon.

"Will we go to hell if we pick that request?" asked Fumika.

"No, you will go to the heaven, but she will be not normal like other kids," said The Dragon.

"Yes, we will do anything for our daughter, so please help her," said Kokoro.

"It already happened," said The Dragon

The Dragon's power went into Akaike's body, and the mist disappeared. Instantly, the baby named Akaike started to cry; color flowed into her cheeks. Fumika quickly left to get a medical-nin that could check on the mother and daughter.

Finally, the medical-nin came into the home and checked on the mother and the baby Akaike to make sure they were healthy, knowing that they had a dark secret which no one was allowed to know. The medical-nin cut the cord and examined the baby. She was deemed a healthy child; her color was turning normal and she was moving around like a normal baby would. Akaike started to cry for her mother because she was hungry, so she latched on and started to feed.

"It seems that the mother and daughter are healthy so there is no other problem," said the medical-nin.

"Thank you for coming," said Fumika.

"No problem," said the medical-nin.

As the doctor left, Fumika sat next to his wife, rubbing his daughter's cheek while she was feeding.

Since that day, the Fujiwara parents had told no one about the Hell Dragon that had saved their daughter's life. Akaike grew older, and by the age of ten, she was playing with other kids and having fun like a normal child. But her parents never told anyone of the power lurking inside of her. Akaike didn't even know about it. Fumika and Kokoro were afraid that Akaike would be shunned and feared by her fellow villagers.

*Flashback end*

"You see why, her parents didn't tell her," said The Dragon.

"All this time, her parents kept this secret for so long because they feared that she might be treated differently," said Tsume.

"Yes, that is why I must protect her because parents have enemy that might kidnap Akaike for this special power," said The Dragon.

"I understand now, but she will still be going to school to learn how to control her chakra, then she is going to have to trust people again, starting with us and her schoolmates and teachers," said Hiruzen.

"Well, I have to keep a watch on her too. So I am going to be by her side," said The Dragon.

"How is that going to be?" asked the Third Hokage.

"Well, once Akaike gets back to normal, I will transform into an egg. When the time comes, I will hatch and she can take me wherever she goes," said The Dragon.

"We understand, we will be watching over her too," said Tsume.

"Now I must leave," said The Dragon.

The Hell Dragon disappeared, and Akaike fainted from the exhaustion. A medium-sized egg appeared next to her, ready for Akaike to take care of it until it hatched. Tsume picked up Akaike and put her on her back piggyback style and then put the egg in a bag so her dog, Kuromaru, could carry it in his mouth. Now they knew about Akaike and her family. Now they knew that they had to protect her, no matter what came to their way.


End file.
